The Magician's Wife

Brian Moore's suspenseful works, including The Statement, are international bestsellers, and three of his novels have been nominated for the Booker Prize. The Magician's Wife is an exotic tale of intrigue set in the age of Napoleon III. It received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. Monsieur Henri Lambert is a world-famous magician. Because his carefully rehearsed performances astound even the most critical audiences, the Emperor sends him to Algeria. There, Lambert must dazzle its leaders and convince them the French have special powers. As an added attraction, Emmeline, his unsophisticated young wife, is to accompany him. But in this unfamiliar landscape, when Emmeline discovers the deception involved in the Emperor's plan, she decides to shift its outcome. Moore skillfully tightens the suspense, infusing it with lyrical passages that highlight Emmeline's growing intelligence. Narrator Graeme Malcolm's European tones capture the international flair of this outstanding book.